Working with Film in Graphics Design

Since most of the paper printing presses in North America are now direct to plate, this page really only pertains to disc face imprinting, which still requires film to make the silkscreens.

In our "Basics Unleashed" page we mentioned that prior to computers, designers pasted up their designs and then shot their work with a camera. Historically, the term "camera ready artwork" has meant that the copy is ready to be photographed, film developed, proofed, scanned, edited, re-shot, placed and then finally burned onto printing plates.

What a hassle! What better way to eliminate cost than to keep information inside a computer for as long as possible?

Today we use two modes to eliminate the camera and paste ups:

Film Image Setter is a glorified, expensive printer that uses mylar film acetate sheets instead of paper to print your document. Once your computer layout file is preflighted (checked for bugs) a post script 'snap shot' is created and sent down to the image setter. Out pops films used to make the silkscreens.

Direct-to-Plate technology has been invented for the paper printing portion of a project - today's Standard Web Offset Printing (SWOP). It literally does what its name suggests - transfers images and type directly from an electronic format to the printing plates. Because shooting, stripping, and other film processes have now been eliminated, the amount of lag-time for set-ups has been dramatically reduced... literally from hours down to minutes.

Negatives and Positives

Usually you will find two different types of film used in the production of CDs and DVDs. Film positives are used for Silkscreen Printing, and film negatives are used for Offset Printing for disc print as well as paper and board-stock packaging. CDman also uses Direct-To-Plate technology for most of our paper and board-stock packaging.

Example of 'Positive' Film  labeled Pantone 032:

Printed Result

 Example of 'Negative' Film labled CYAN

Same image on same mylar sheet, only reversed emulsion coverage to make a negative. Used for paper parts printing.

Printed Result